DOVER-FOXCROFT — Fitzpatrick Trophy winner Brett Gerry and Maine Gatorade Player of the Year Joe Fitzpatrick finally will get to compete on the same football field Saturday night.
The two running backs never played against each other in high school. Gerry, who will play for the West in the 26th annual Lobster Bowl, attended Class B Marshwood High. Fitzpatrick, who will play for the East, went to Class A Cheverus.
LOBSTER BOWL
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Waterhouse Field, Biddeford
But it will be tough to compare their stats Saturday. While Fitzpatrick will get plenty of carries, Gerry will spend most of his time at linebacker. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Waterhouse Field in Biddeford.
“We lost some linebackers off the roster kind of late in the game so we had to shuffle some things around, and we just felt like (Gerry) was as valuable to us on defense as he was going to be on offense,” said West Coach Mike Hathaway between practices at Foxcroft Academy.
That means a Fitzpatrick vs. Gerry collision is likely.
“We’ll see. It should be a fun game,” Fitzpatrick said.
Gerry, listed at 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, used his strength and balance to rush for a school-record 2,263 yards, averaging 12.3 yards per carry. He scored 32 touchdowns to lead Marshwood to the Class B championship, its first state title since winning Class A in 1989 – a team led by Fitzy winner Steve Knight.
Gerry also won four team and three individual state wrestling championships at Marshwood. He will play football and wrestle during a postgraduate year at Hyde School.
Fitzpatrick is slightly bigger (5-11, 210) and definitely faster than Gerry. He led Class A with 2,071 rushing yards and scored 27 touchdowns with four 200-yard games as the Stags reached the Eastern Class A final. He has signed to play at the University of Maine.
Fitzpatrick dismissed the idea he felt slighted by not being named the Fitzpatrick Trophy winner.
“I didn’t really even understand the Fitzy until I was up for it. I like Gatorade so I’m OK with (winning) that,” said Fitzpatrick, who is not related to the trophy’s namesake.
East offensive lineman Dan O’Brion, Fitzpatrick’s teammate at Cheverus, sounded a different tune.
O’Brion said he was “extremely upset” Fitzpatrick did not win Maine’s top football honor and is intent on helping Fitzpatrick show the voters they goofed.
“And that’s exactly what he’s going to do,” O’Brion said. “I’ve been talking about it with him since we went to the banquet. I’ve been like, ‘Joe, he’s one side of the ball and you’re on the other side of the ball, it’s a picture- perfect moment to just run him over and just prove that maybe they should have thought a little better.’ ”
Gerry said he’s “kind of catching that vibe,” that he’ll be targeted by the East.
“But whatever. We’re here for a cause,” Gerry said. “I’m not too excited to go hurt somebody to try to prove myself but what happens in the game happens.”
Gerry won’t be affected by opposing players’ words, pregame hype or even his position switch, said West offensive lineman Nick Dalecki, who also went to Marshwood.
“Brett is really unique, honestly, because the only thing he knows how to be is himself,” he said. “He doesn’t try to portray some image. He just goes out and does his thing.”
Hathaway plans to go primarily with Chris Carney of Wells and Kyle Flaherty of Oak Hill as his running backs in the spread offense. He said Gerry also will get some carries.
Dalecki finds it odd that Gerry has been relegated to backup running back, a sentiment echoed by players from both teams.
“He excelled (at linebacker) but you would think the Fitzpatrick winner would be the star running back of the Lobster Bowl but hey, we have some great running backs,” Dalecki said.
Carney was the third finalist for the Fitzpatrick Trophy. He rushed for 2,077 yards and scored 30 touchdowns as the Warriors reached the Western Class C final. Flaherty was one of the 13 semifinalists in the Fitzpatrick voting.
“Everyone has asked me why I’m not running the ball,” Gerry said. “I think mostly it’s because we’re using a spread offense and I mostly ran wing-T. I’m not the fastest running back around. I think that has a lot to do with it.
“They just gave me the call, asked if I wanted to play linebacker and I said, ‘Sure.’ ”
Regardless of position or opponent, both Fitzpatrick and Gerry are preparing for a real football test.
“We’re not out here going through triple sessions to go out and play patty cake. We want to put on a show and give everyone a game,” Fitzpatrick said.
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